Lyon lead Auxerre 2-1 at the break as set-pieces do the damage

Lyon head into the break at Groupama Stadium with a 2-1 lead over Auxerre after a first half that turned decisively in the space of 14 minutes. Felix Bacher nodded Lyon in front from a corner in the 28th minute, and three minutes later Zachary Athekame finished off a move involving Loïs Openda to double the advantage. Cameron Archer pulled one back for Auxerre in the 42nd minute with a left-footed strike from open play, but the visitors go into the dressing room behind after a half they largely watched pass them by.

The numbers read like a Lyon procession that only briefly wobbled. They held 64% of the ball, registered 11 shots to Auxerre's 2, and put four on target against one. Lyon also racked up 19 touches in the Auxerre box, 8 corners, and won 22 duels to 15. The expected-goals split of 1.34 to 0.15 tells the same story: chance creation sat firmly with the home side, with the scoreline understating their dominance rather than flattering it.

The decisive detail was set-pieces. Bacher's opener from a corner, assisted by Ernest Nuamah, came on a Lyon set-play xG of 0.18, small in isolation but decisive on the scoreboard. Lyon's other goal arrived from open play via Athekame's right-footed finish, with Openda supplying the assist. Across the half, Lyon generated 1.16 xG from open play and 0.18 from set plays; Auxerre managed 0.15 from open play and zero from dead balls, a reminder that the visitors offered nothing from wide areas or restarts.

Athekame topped the player composite with a rating of 8.02, one goal, one shot on target, and an xG of 0.07 from his strike. Bacher added his header on 0.14 xG, while Openda's 0.93 xG without scoring underlines how much of Lyon's chance creation ran through him even before the break. Archer's consolation, taken from open play on 0.12 xG, was Auxerre's clearest moment of the half and their only shot on target.

Both teams set up in 4-3-3 shapes, with the midfield battle tilted Lyon's way from early on. Auxerre finished the half with one yellow card, Lyon with none, and four fouls conceded against three, suggesting a contest that stayed within the laws even as the home side controlled its flow.

FotMob.